Compression tester for determination of fastness to perspiration of dyed textiles



w 1 m 7, Mm m m w m f n L A N in H. E. MILLSON ET AL COMPRESSION TESTER FOR DETERMINATION OF FASTNESS TO PERSPIRATION OF DYED TEXTILES March 10, 1953 Flled Feb 8. L949 March 10, 1953 H. E. MILLSON ETAL 2,630,710

COMPRESSION TESTER FOR DETERMINATION OF FASTNESS TO PERSPIRATION OF DYED TEXTILES 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Feb. 8. 1949 INVENTORS MIN/P) E. M/ZLJO/V Patented Mar. 10, 1953 COMPRESSION TESTER jFo' DETERMINA- 'TION OF'FASTNESS T PERSPIRATION'OF DYED TEXTILES Henry E. Millson, Plainfield, Herbert L. Parsons, Highland Park, and Matthew J, Babey, Raritan, N. J., assignors to American Cyanamidpompany,'New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maine Application Febriiary 8, 1949, Serial No. 75,142

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved device for carryingout perspiration testson dyed fabrics and more particularly an apparatus permitting accurately reproducible results.

In the past, tests for determining color fastness to perspiration have been carried out by Wetting out the test specimen, in combination with an undyedpiece of fabric, which is usually a piece of multifiber fabric, in a standard solution recommended for the purpose by the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (Yearbooks l'94'7-19 l8, pp. 114-115). After the excess of standard perspiration solution is expressed. from the test specimen, it is rolled together with a piece of undyed fabric in such a manner as to keep the test specimen on the inside. The rolled fabrics are then inserted into a glass tube, which is closed at one end, in such a manner that about one-third of the roll extends from the open end of the'tube. The tube containing the rolled fabrics is then placed in an oven, usually set at 100 F. for the requisite time for the test. It has long been recognized that this method is inadequate particularly where bleeding of the dye is encountered and that three factors had great influence on the results obtained, namely, time, temperature and uniformity of contact between the test specimen and the undyed fabric. Uniform contact between the two fabrics can be maintained only if there is uniform pressure exerted on the two fabrics. By the very nature of the operation it has been practicall impossible to keep the pressure and contact constant. The pressure exerted upon the two fabrics is dependent first of all 'upon how tightly the fabrics are rolled together and secondly upon whether the uniformity of this roll is maintained for the duration of the test. This non-uniformity of pressure on contact between the two fabrics led to inconsistent results between two tests in addition to extreme variations in individual tests as well as variation in results with the same sample.

The present invention avoids the difficulties encountered in the previously used method and apparatus and permits carrying out a large number f tests under accurately calibrated conditions in which the pressure may be quite high and these tests may be reproduced exactly time after time. Essentially the device of the present invention compresses the test samples, which are separated by impervious plates, between two blocks, the pressure being measured on a spring duced in other-samples by compressing the plates until the springbalance reads thesamepressure and thus withthe devic of the presentinvention the tests are inno way influenced by human variables in the tightness of the rolls of the test samples which has been one of the drawbacks encountered in the methodheretofore used. 7

It is an additional advantage of the present invention that the tim of preparing samples greatly reduced. It is no longer necessary tojro'll carefully each sample to attempt to obtain uniform pressure and to put each in an individual glass tube. On the contrary, a number of -sainples can be stacked with spacerplates between the compressing plates of the device of the present invention and as many as thirty samples may be tested at the same time resulting in a greatly reduced amount of labor required.

It is a further advantage of the apparatus of the present invention that it is made of very rugged components and that the costi's modefate as no complicated mechanism is required. This facilitates the use of a precision tester in laboratories where the number of tests'fhade i'shot great and no excessive investment is required which restricts the field of 'utility 'of accurate erseira tion testers. h I

The invention will be described in greater detail in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a plan View; V

Fig. 3 is a detailed vertical section of thesample holder portion of the apparatus "taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; 4 N

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section along the line 4-5 of Figs. 1 and 2, and

Fig. 5 is ane'xplb'ded View of the parts of the test sample holder. I

Reference numeral "I indicates a "suitable base or frame. Fixedly secured at the forward end thereof is fixed plate [2 which carries upper and lower guide rods 2. Compression blocks 3 which may be of any material that is not corroded by the solution are mounted so as to ride on lower guide rods 2, th upper guide rods 2 serving to hold blocks 3 in an upright position. Movable plate 4 is mounted on upper and lower guide rods 2. Plate 4 is movable longitudinally of frame I by means of screw 6, threaded through a suitable aperture in plate l2 and secured to plate 4. Plate I2 is provided with a set screw II for locking set screw 6 in position. Movable plate 5 is positioned so as to ride on lower guide rods 2. Rod 1 is secured to plate 5 by means of a suitable annular flange Iii. Coupling 8 secures rod 1 to rod 9 which in turn actuates spring balance l mounted on base portion Ia which is detachably secured to base I as shown. Clamping screw mounted upon a suitable standard i1 is adapted to lock rod 1 in position as shown in Figure 4. Test specimens 53 and spacer plates [4 may be mounted between compression blocks 3 as shown in Figure 3.

The operation of the invention will be described in conjunction with the particular examples illustrated in Figure 3. A number of test specimens are wet with the standard perspiration testing solution and are stacked between the stainless steel or glass plates [4 in the sample holder. Assuming that it is desired to carry out the test under a pressure of seven and a half pounds, the screw 6 is turned down until the spring balance shows seven and a, half pounds pressure as is illustrated in Figure 2. Then the screw is locked by the locking set screw l l and the whole assembly is placed into a suitable drying oven maintained at the desired temperature for the test.

After the test is completed, the screw 1 I is released, the screw 6 backed ofi and the test specimens removed. The test is accurately reproducible becaus the same pressure can be obtained in a subsequent test.

' When a very large number of test samples are to be tested at the same time it is possible to remove the blocks 3 and fill up the sample holder between the plates 4 and 5 with test specimens and stainless steel spacer plates. In this manner it is possible to test as many as thirty samples at one time. However, it is more often desirable to test a smaller number of samples and therefore the device of the present invention will be more commonly used with the spacing block 3 in place permitting accurate testing of a smaller number of samples.

It will be noted that the base is preferably composed of two sections connected by a dove-tailed mortice and tenon joint as is shown in Figure 1. Rods and 9 can also be uncoupled from each other by loosening the coupling 8. It is thu possible to prepare a number of sets of test specimens for use with the same balance. In such a case, the correct tension is applied by means of screw 6, the rod 1 is locked by the clamping screw l5 and the whole upper portion of the device removed and a new assembly substituted. This has the advantage of requiring only a single spring balance and the space taken in a. testing oven is considerably smaller than when the whole device is placed therein.

We claim:

1. In a perspiration fastness tester, the combination comprising a support, a vertically disposed end plate secured to said support, a plurality of 4 laterally spaced guide rods extending substantially horizontally outwardly from said plate, a movable plate mounted on said rods, 2. second movable plate adapted to ride on said rods and disposed in substantially horizontal alignment with respect to said first-mentioned, movable plate, screw means secured to said first-mentioned movable plate and adapted to move said plate longitudinally of said rods and of said support, and a force measuring means secured to said second-mentioned movable plate and to said support.

2. In a perspiration fastness tester, the combination comprising a support, a vertically disposed end plate secured to said support, a plurality of laterally spaced guide rods extending substantially horizontally outwardly from said plate, a movable plate mounted on said rods, a second movable plate adapted to ride on said rods and disposed in substantially horizontal alignment with respect to said first-mentioned movable plate, a plurality of compression blocks mounted between said movable plates, a plurality of spacer plates mounted between said compression blocks, screw means secured to said first-mentioned movable plate and adapted to move said plate longitudinally of said rods and of saidsupport, and a force measuring means secured to said secondmentioned movable plate and to said support.

3. A device as in claim 2, wherein said support is composed of two detachably secured segments, wherein said force measuring means i mounted upon one of said segments and said plates are mounted upon the other of said segments, and wherein a second screw means is provided for locking said second-mentioned movable plate in a fixed position.

HENRY E. MILLSON. HERBERT L. PARSONS. MATTHEW J. BABEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,630,110 Cole May 24, 1927 1,819,232 Cropper Aug. 18, 1931 2,041,869 Smith et al May 26, 1936 2,082,364 Store June 1, 1937 2,224,248 Blum et a1. Dec. 10, 1940 2,362,089 Peters Nov. 7, 1944 2,365,496 Shaw Dec. 19, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 76,029 Sweden Dec. 6, 1932 

